This invention relates to adjustable chairs and more particularly an Orthopaedic seating system for use on chairs for home or leisure activities.
A great deal of emphasis has been placed on providing work place chairs of the sit kneel type as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,699.
The ergonomic work place chair of U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,519 further provides seat and back portions which tilt about their respective, horizontal axes so that the sitter""s sacrum region will be contacted and supported.
The present invention is concerned with providing seat and back portions pivotally mounted on the frame of an arm chair for use in the home or office. The pivotally mounted seat and back portions of this invention are also capable of being mounted on a portable chair for leisure activities such as camping, or outdoor entertainment.
The present invention also provides a contoured seat and back to aid in relieving discomfort and restoring lumbar lordoses. The orthopaedic chairs of this invention are readily adjustable by changing vertical and horizontal positions of the seat and back to fit most skeletal structures through the action of providing supports for seat and back assemblies of the chair specific orthopaedic capabilities are achieved, namely the ability to hold a person in an orthopaedically correct posture for assessment and treatment, the ability to relax both upper and lower (Spinal) extensor muscles, the ability to decompress the anterior column of the spine and give the user the ability to do his back extension exercise without hip extension.
A seated person may also stretch out and lean back and this seating system allows for full orthopaedically correct lumbar support both during this movement, and in a fully extended position. Specifically designed for people who suffer from back problems, this seating system offers relief from lower back pain as it allows the bottom of the spine to hang freely rather than be the foundation and support for the upper body while sitting on an ordinary chair seat.
Accordingly this present invention seeks to provide an orthopaedic chair for a person suffering from back problems a chair seat, a chair back frame for supporting the chair seat and the back, the seat being mounted for rotation about a first horizontal axis the chair back mounted for rotation about a second horizontal axis, means to provide horizontal adjustments of the first axis and the seat, means to provide vertical adjustment of the first axis and the seat, means to provide vertical adjustment of the chair back including vertical adjustment of the second axis, the chair seat and chair back being adjusted to suit an individual sitting in the chair thereby holding the person in an orthopaedically person beneficial position.
The present invention seeks to provide a further embodiment wherein the chair is a folding chair and said frame comprises spaced apart sides, each side including first and second elongated members joined intermediate their ends by pivot means and members interconnecting the spaced apart sides.
The present invention also seeks to provide an orthopaedic chair wherein the said frames comprise spaced apart sides each side: including first and second upright members joined by at least one horizontal member and horizontal members interconnecting the spaced apart sides.